So Accidents Happen
by Arianna555
Summary: This is my alternate ending to Teach Me Tonight. How it could have been...how it might have been. Implying Literati.


So Accidents Happen

Disclaimer: I don't own GG, or any books, movies, etc.

A/N: I was watching my tape of "Teach Me Tonight," and I thought it would be almost a perfect episode…except for the end. So…this is an alternate ending. How it could have been… I know this has been done before, but I just wanted to write my version. Rory's called Lorelai from the hospital; the doctors have told Lorelai to go do something else for an hour. Everything has happened; from now on things are different. Luke's not home—that's basically the only difference. This might be just a one-part thing…tell me if you think I should continue! I really have to stop starting new fics…lol. BTW, this is the first story I've written in third person. Hope you like this!        ~Arianna

"Jess!" Lorelai yelled, storming into the diner. "Jess, damn it!" She pulled the door to the stairs open and hurried up. "Jess!"

The diner was silent, except for Lorelai. Jess wasn't there. Luke had been gone all day.

She'd told Rory the day before, when Luke had asked her to tutor Jess, that it was a bad idea. She'd told Luke. Neither of them had listened.

She had known Jess would get Rory into trouble. Had known that Luke shouldn't have let him come. He was trouble; he'd always been trouble. And yet he was fine. He was off somewhere else, instead of sitting at the hospital with a fractured wrist, like Rory was. _Where I want him to be, with a fractured head_, Lorelai thought furiously.

He was not going to get away with this.

Rory had told her it wasn't Jess' fault. She said that he made sure she was okay before he would even talk to the police. But Jess was driving the car Dean made Rory. Jess was driving, they crashed, he was fine, and Rory wasn't fine.

That thought was enough to get Lorelai to hurry down the streets of Stars Hollow, angrily calling Jess' name.

_He had better be sorry_, she thought bitterly.

He seemed to have disappeared. He'd run away from this, like he'd run away from his welcoming dinner and from everything else. She was going to find him anyway. He couldn't possibly leave so fast. And now she didn't want coffee, she wanted to yell at the person who'd hurt Rory. 

Lorelai passed the bridge, heading for the other side of Stars Hollow, still furious. But she saw a dark silhouette sitting there, shaking slightly. And she stopped.

Something kept her from rushing out onto the bridge; something kept her from yelling. Not entirely sure what, she walked over, quietly. "Jess?" she said softly.

He wouldn't look up at her. "I made sure she was okay," he replied, a little shakily, staring at the water.

_That's what she said…_ "It was your fault," she told him harshly. "Your fault Rory's in the hospital. Your fault her wrist is broken. Your fault her car is wrecked."

"I know it's my fault."

That one threw her. She had to admit, she hadn't expected…she'd thought Jess would deny everything.

Yet he was sitting there, plainly and simply saying it had been his fault.

Did that change anything? Should it change anything?

Lorelai stood behind him, a fierce shadow in the dim moonlight. "Dean just made her that car." 

"I know."

"He made her that car and then you took it out and you wrecked it immediately!" 

"It wasn't _immediate_."  

Lorelai ignored that. "You know she only agreed because Luke asked her to! Because Rory never refuses anyone. But she has a great boyfriend who she loves and you mean nothing to her, get it?" She realized she was starting to cry and quickly got control of herself.

"Maybe, maybe not." Jess' gaze had stayed on the water. He hadn't moved. Hadn't looked anywhere else.

"I…" Lorelai began. She hated seeing Rory hurt. She'd been so scared… No matter how upset she was, she was not going to cry. Not now, _not_ in front of Jess.

"She told me to keep driving." He turned to face her for the first time.

"You're blaming Rory?" Her anger was rising again.

"No. Of course not. I was driving. I'm telling you what happened. I didn't force her to go. I wouldn't have." Lorelai looked at him, hard, and thought maybe, just maybe, she saw tears in his eyes.

Something totally unexplainable made her walk further over and carefully sit down, a few feet away from Jess.

"It should have been me," Jess said in a low voice. "I know she didn't deserve to get hurt; she didn't do anything wrong. If I could switch places with her…"

"Damn right," Lorelai said fiercely. "I'd do it for you."

"I wouldn't argue."

"What?"

"I wouldn't argue. Look, I'll help pay for the car or whatever…"

"You can't do that." What was she saying? She had to be crazy…this was Jess.

"Not now I can't."

"It's…" No. No. She wouldn't say it. The words would have to be wrenched out of her. No one could get her to… "It's okay, Jess."

Now he was surprised. "What?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Don't worry about _that_."

"Yeah, okay. I haven't forgiven you."

"Didn't think so," Jess answered. "Uh…listen, Lorelai—" He gritted his teeth and went on. Lorelai wasn't planning to make this any easier for him. "I'm…sorry about what I said at that stupid dinner. I guess I didn't mean it. I know it was a little…"

"A lot," Lorelai interrupted.

He grimaced. "Fine. A lot. I got it."

"You seem to."

"I…" Jess stopped, then continued, nervously. "I'm sorry I hurt her. If I could have done anything…I mean, it's not like I don't care," he finished.

"I think I can see that," Lorelai said, very quietly. Jess nodded. She hesitated for a second. "Look, Jess…maybe I shouldn't have…should have actually given you a chance. I know Rory likes you."

"She did," he said bitterly.

"No. She likes you. She told me what happened."

"Yeah."

"Including the 'Rory's gonna be a great journalist' part."

He shrugged. "I think she will."

"So do I." This was getting scary. She had to stop agreeing with him. With Jess! The guy who had—who had accidentally broken—fractured—Rory's wrist. But it was about Rory…

"So, hypothetically, if I were to come over for a minute tomorrow, to talk to her for a second—"

Lorelai nodded. "I won't kill you completely. I might even allow you thirty seconds."

"Sounds fair."

"You make a terrible first impression."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "So I've heard."

She got up. "I guess I might see you tomorrow."

"Possibly."

Lorelai got up, thinking that maybe…it was almost okay that Rory didn't own a car made by Dean anymore, shaking her head at the very idea. But knowing the truth, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it. Maybe Luke's nephew deserved just _one_ more chance. Maybe Rory was right about this. Just this once.

Jess stayed on the bridge for a while after Lorelai left, quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve, and then almost grinning to himself. _I might have just done the impossible_, he thought.

Lorelai went back to the hospital and drove Rory home. Both of them were exhausted—Lorelai decided the news about her talk with Jess could wait.

Rory fell asleep almost instantly.  She woke up at about nine-thirty the next morning.

An hour later, there was a knock at the door.

Lorelai got up from her chair to answer it. She didn't need to look through the window to see who it was. She knew. And she wasn't proved wrong.

He was there, in jeans and a gray sweater, looking straight at her, hands in his pockets, challenging her to back down.

Lorelai stayed silent.

"So, was it knife or gun you decided on?" he asked casually.

She reluctantly stepped aside. "We'll see."

"Okay then." He paused. "Can I…"

"Yeah." Lorelai went into the kitchen, watching Jess walk over to Rory's room.

The door was slightly ajar; he reached over to push it open, standing in her doorway. Rory was dressed in jeans and a shirt, lying on her bed, a book in front of her. She sat up straight, dropping the book, as soon as she saw him.

"Uh, hey," Jess said uncomfortably, staring at the floor.

"Hey," Rory replied, trying to look unconcerned and not succeeding. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't…and I sort of…I just wanted to—"

She smiled, understanding. "Come on in." She indicated the chair next to her bed. Jess came in, awkwardly, and sat down.

"So…uh…are you okay?"

Rory nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm fine," she said, showing him her cast. "It's kinda cool. I have an interesting story to tell and everything."

"Look, you don't have to pretend it's good. Rory—"

"Yeah?" she urged him, softly.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I wrecked your car, I broke your wrist—I'm sorry. It was a stupid idea. I shouldn't—"

"Jess, stop. I'm glad we… It's only a fracture; no big deal. And it wasn't your fault."

"Good one."

"I'm serious," she said firmly, looking at him more closely. "As long as you're okay—you are, aren't you?"

"Pretty much. Wanna switch?"

"No. It's good practice. I'm bound to get hurt in my career. Now all I have to do is teach you a foreign language, and I'll be set."

Jess grinned slightly. "I thought…the car…"

"I don't care about the stupid car. You're okay, and I'm okay, and that dog or cat or whatever is okay. It's all good."

"You are not okay." He looked away, swallowing hard.

"Yes, I am."

"Listen, it should have been me! I _wanted_ it to be me."

"I didn't."

"Tough." He sighed. If only…

She leaned over to look into his eyes. "Jess?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Uh huh."

"If it were me, it wouldn't hurt like hell!" he burst out. "I hate seeing you like this—"

"What?" She touched his arm. "Please don't worry about it, Jess."

He shook his head. "I'm gonna go."

"There are tissues over there."

"I'm fine!" he insisted, facing her.

"Whatever." She smiled. He turned and started walking out. Rory hurriedly got off the bed and went after him. "Wait, Jess." He turned back around. She caught up; reached out to hug him tightly.

Surprised, he hesitantly hugged her back. "Rory?" he said, letting go of her.

Rory smiled at him again. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For making sure I was okay. And for coming over."

"No problem."

"It really wasn't your fault, Jess."

He shrugged. "Think what you like."

"Jess?"

"Yeah?" he repeated.

"Still gonna let me borrow Please Kill Me?"

He allowed himself a quick grin. "I'll bring it over later."

"Good," Rory answered, her eyes sparkling.

"See ya soon," he told her, realizing how great this day had actually been.

"Hopefully," she replied, looking forward to it already, as she watched Jess leave.

Lorelai had seen the last scene between them. This time, she wouldn't bother blocking Jess at the door.

She knew that friends went over to each other's houses a lot. And Rory and Jess were _definitely_ friends.


End file.
